Our family loves to take trips up to the mountains to go camping in the summer. My kids’ faces light up with joy every time we start rolling up the sleeping bags and checking flash light batteries.
My husband is usually in charge of packing up the car — like playing a master game of Tetris; to get all the pieces to fit in just right.
But the day before our trip, he was in the office. So I decided to help out and pack it myself! Everything went smoothly but as I was going along I started to question what he usually packs, thinking, “Do we really need this? Why do we bring two of these?”
By the time he came home from work I was ready to cross-examine his packing efforts — something I know he greatly appreciated.
All of this reminded me of this Sunday’s message where we were called to submit under authority. Often times my objections to authority include questions like: what if the authority figure isn’t making sense? What if their decisions are highly criticized? What if I don’t agree?
Sunday was a great reminder of God’s structure and order that includes submission — for our benefit.
And when it comes to being a leader, high criticism comes with the territory — just like my husband’s packing style.
The truth is, it’s very difficult being a leader. You come under high scrutiny for every single decision you make. Like Pastor Jason mentioned on Sunday, something we are seeing that is highly valuable across the board is empathy, which is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
The Bible has been teaching us empathy for centuries — but do we listen? Are we truly empathetic for the leaders placed over us? Do we ask on a regular basis, “I wonder what that would be like to be in their shoes?”
This week I read Psalm 22 where David is sharing how hard it is to be a leader in his shoes.
He says in verses 6-8:
“But I am a worm and not a man. I am scorned and despised by all! Everyone who sees me mocks me. They sneer and shake their heads, saying, ‘Is this the one who relies on the Lord? Then let the Lord save him! If the Lord loves him so much, let the Lord rescue him!’” (NLT)
Imagine how David must have felt even in his great position of leadership. Being a leader doesn’t mean all your problems are solved because you now have authority — it often means being misunderstood, misrepresented and mocked by those who “follow” you.
I would imagine most of our leaders feel this way…presidents, kings, pastors…even our small group leaders.
Submission means approaching our leaders with empathy and grace…understanding that the weight they carry can be very heavy. Reminding ourselves that coming under their submission isn’t weakness, but actual strength.
Talking about submission can be hard, but I’m very grateful we get to be a part of a body of believers that earnestly seeks to understand God’s heart in the matter.
Knowing how much He loves us, let’s not criticize our “ultimate Leader” in His choice to make submission a part of our lives. He cares for us, so we can rest in that. Surrender will be our strength.
My husband is usually in charge of packing up the car — like playing a master game of Tetris; to get all the pieces to fit in just right.
But the day before our trip, he was in the office. So I decided to help out and pack it myself! Everything went smoothly but as I was going along I started to question what he usually packs, thinking, “Do we really need this? Why do we bring two of these?”
By the time he came home from work I was ready to cross-examine his packing efforts — something I know he greatly appreciated.
All of this reminded me of this Sunday’s message where we were called to submit under authority. Often times my objections to authority include questions like: what if the authority figure isn’t making sense? What if their decisions are highly criticized? What if I don’t agree?
Sunday was a great reminder of God’s structure and order that includes submission — for our benefit.
And when it comes to being a leader, high criticism comes with the territory — just like my husband’s packing style.
The truth is, it’s very difficult being a leader. You come under high scrutiny for every single decision you make. Like Pastor Jason mentioned on Sunday, something we are seeing that is highly valuable across the board is empathy, which is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
The Bible has been teaching us empathy for centuries — but do we listen? Are we truly empathetic for the leaders placed over us? Do we ask on a regular basis, “I wonder what that would be like to be in their shoes?”
This week I read Psalm 22 where David is sharing how hard it is to be a leader in his shoes.
He says in verses 6-8:
“But I am a worm and not a man. I am scorned and despised by all! Everyone who sees me mocks me. They sneer and shake their heads, saying, ‘Is this the one who relies on the Lord? Then let the Lord save him! If the Lord loves him so much, let the Lord rescue him!’” (NLT)
Imagine how David must have felt even in his great position of leadership. Being a leader doesn’t mean all your problems are solved because you now have authority — it often means being misunderstood, misrepresented and mocked by those who “follow” you.
I would imagine most of our leaders feel this way…presidents, kings, pastors…even our small group leaders.
Submission means approaching our leaders with empathy and grace…understanding that the weight they carry can be very heavy. Reminding ourselves that coming under their submission isn’t weakness, but actual strength.
Talking about submission can be hard, but I’m very grateful we get to be a part of a body of believers that earnestly seeks to understand God’s heart in the matter.
Knowing how much He loves us, let’s not criticize our “ultimate Leader” in His choice to make submission a part of our lives. He cares for us, so we can rest in that. Surrender will be our strength.
Erika Pizzo
Erika is an author of various books on the topics of faith, mental health, and victory in Christ. Erika lives with her husband, daughter, son, and their fluffy poodle in sunny Southern California. Her two favorite things are a visit to the beach and a chai latte in hand.